The present invention relates to a fault detection process and a fault detection system for a time-division switching network and more particularly for large sized networks combining both time-division and space-division switching stages.
Due to the complexity of switching operations in large multistage time-division switching networks various quasi-systematic tests must be made and particularly communication paths must be tested as well as transmission of communication signals. Such tests necessarily are very numerous in large time-division switching networks due to the great number of possible connections and the great number of resulting switching operations since transmission of each sample belonging to a communication involves a series of prior switching operations for establishing a path for the sample through the network.
Processes and systems making it possible to test the good transmission of samples through a time-division switching network are already known. Processes and systems make it possible to test arrivals of selected samples at their destinations. However, those processes and systems generally are fragmental and are not necessarily compatible with each other without modification. Moreover, often these processes and systems are designed for a predetermined configuration of the switching network.